Where in Beautiful Marion County is this?

Wednesday

Jan 30, 2013 at 11:21 PM

Once each month I'll be running a photo taken somewhere in Beautiful Marion County and asking, "Where is it?"

With today's edition we're starting our other little tweak to the column. Once each month, in the final Bits & Pieces for the month, I'll be running a photo taken somewhere in Beautiful Marion County. I'll ask you WHERE it is and, in some cases, perhaps WHAT it is. A modest prize (something worth $10 or less is indeed quite modest, wouldn't you agree?) will be awarded to the FIRST person who gives me the correct answer by sending it to me at slyguy73@gmail.com and putting “WHERE IS IT?” in the subject line to distinguish your email from the other stuff that comes to that address. That is the ONLY official way to enter.The prizes are more symbolic than valuable but, as with our continuing story series on Tuesdays, this is mostly for fun. Winners, however, are able to claim as many bragging rights as they choose, along with the prize of course.I can't tell you what the prize is, because if I did, then I'd have to … well, if you've seen the old Tom Cruise movie “Top Gun” you know! Actually, I can't tell you because I don't have a clue myself as to what it will be. Perhaps a coffee mug, perhaps a ball point pen set, perhaps a T-shirt, who knows? I don't. Choice of the prizes available is at the discretion of someone else.The rules are pretty simple: First email to me with the correct answer (and entrant's street address) wins. My email software time-stamps each email, so that will be our official timekeeper.Entrants have to include their street mailing address so we can enlist the services of an official United States government courier to deliver your prize if you win. (Mail delivery people are official couriers, right?) We won't be using your street address for anything else but sending off the prize to the winner — Scout's honor!Don't forget that street mailing address now, it's important. Not including it is a violation of the rules and will disqualify your entry. See the photo that accompanies this column.CELEBRITIES: In a recent column, I asked if readers had ever had any contact with some of the more famous residents of Beautiful Marion County like the Travoltas, Mel Tillis, Bobby Goldsboro, etc.Tim Huffman, Ocala, wrote: “Many years ago I worked at a gas station/store on Silver Springs Boulevard named Wareco. It is long since gone. The store is still there, but under the operation of whatever new incarnation that owns it. Bobby Goldsboro came in one day and handed me his credit card to pay. I looked up and said you're Bobby Goldsboro. He quietly said, ‘Yes, I am.'“At that same place I met (the late) Homer Circle (outdoors writer). He came in from time to time. For a while former Lt. Governor, then interim Gov., Buddy MacKay was a regular when in town. All this was back in the late 1970s and very early 1980s.”QUESTION OF THE DAY: If Silver Springs is turned into a state park, how much would you be willing to pay as an entrance fee?Send comments to slyguy73@gmail.com and include your FULL name and town. This column appears each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and online at www.ocala.com.